Glass forming machine



May`29, 1945. A, F,v McNlSH 2,376,928

GLAss FORMIN'G MACHINE Filed July 19, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1I i l l -Y 514 May 249, 1945. A. F. McNlsH GLASS FORMINGMACHINE Filed Jly 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 29, 1945 UNITED- GLASS FRMING MACHINE Alekander Francis McNish, Scone, Scotland, as-

signor of one-half to John Moncrieff Limited,

Perth, Scotland Application July 19, 1941, serial No. 103,125l In Great Britain August 12, 194()` l 8 Claims. This invention relates to automatic glass forming machines for the manufacture of glass bottles and like glass hollow ware of the kind which gather the molten glass `by suction into a parison mold and transfer a parison of glass toA a iinishing mold in which the glass is blownand formed to shape. I A v The invention is concerned with machines as aforesaid which are provided with a single set of molds and which are vhereinafter for brevity termed single-unitmachines as distinct from multiple machines provided with a plurality of sets of molds adapted to simultaneously produce aplurality of bottles. f

It is one of the objectsof the present invention g to provide an automatic single-unit machine which can easily be moved about and manipulated to enable'it to be brought quickly into-use for the production of bottles orlike glass-'ware in relatively small quantities when the use of a larger machine would notbe economical. y

It is a further ob'jectofv the invention'to Aproduce a machine according' to the last preceding paragraph which will belof relatively small size as compared with the large machines commonly used. lThe relatively small size of the machine according to the present invention not only makes it easier to move about from place to place, but also enables a plurality of suchvmachinesto be brought into use in front of a common glass furnace having a plurality of gathering basins, one for each forming machine in use.

Other objects and advantages of the machine according to the present invention will be manifest from the description hereinafter given.

According to the present invention a singleunit glass forming machine of the kind aforesaid comprising the usual divided parison mold, the halves of which are carried by hinged or pivoted jaws, has the parison mold mounted to swing in a horizontal plane about'the centre of the hinge or pivot of the parison mold jawsr tomovve the parison mold in a curvilinear path from the'gathering position to the` transferfposition 'and conversely. In consequence thereof,V the parison 'mold ktravels in a curved path of comparatively or nearly equal to the lengthv of the carrying arm,

plus the length of the hinged or pivoted arms, with the result that the size of the machine isr greater and the time taken for the parison to travel from the gathering position to the transfer position is longer than that required in a machine according to the present invention.

As isfusual, the parison molds swings in an arc y whichis'preferably about 90 degrees and accord- 4placed just outside the path rof travel of the parison mold at the transferv position, so that the parison` mold can be` opened and the parison of glass, supported by the usual neck mold, can be given a short outward radial motion, to yplace the parison in the finishing mold.

It will be understood that, as is usualin machines of the kind aforesaid, the parison mold and neck mold are vertically reciprocated at the gath-v eringposition to lower and lift the parison mold out of the glass. A

By virtue of the fact that the nishing mold is placed just sufficiently outside `the path of travel of the'parison mold to permit thelatter tcbe opened at the transfer position, the finishing-mold is situated at a distance fromthe centre of the hinge or pivot of the parison mold jaws only lslightly greater than the radius of the path of travel ofthe parison mold, with the result that the nishing mold is brought comparatively close f 'traversingthe parison mold infits curved path l with the neck mold, for raising and lowering the two molds, for yrectilinear motion of the neck mold at the transfer position and for indenting and blowing the parison in the finishing mold, as well as with mechanism `for opening and closing the' molds, for shearing the string of glass from the parison at the gathering position and for removing the finished 'article` from theiinishingl mold. y y l i The machine is also provided with means for cooling theparison moldwhen opened and with adjusting means for enabling the machine to be adapted `to the manufacture of dierent sizes of bottles,` all of which `featureswill be briefly men-v tioned in the following'niore detailed description,

reference being madel to theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a glass forming machine ac cording to the invention.` f i On thev drawings Figl is a view of the machine yin side elevation.v Fig. 2 'is a plan viewoftheneck mold,trave rsing gearv positioned at the top of thmafch-in shownin-iFig. 41. Figs. 3

and' 4' are Aend views `'looking on opposite e'nds v of the'parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig-5 is'a sectional plan View of the machine taken on the yZig-zag line A-A of Fig. 1.` Fig. fiisia vertical sectional View ofthe parison mold tablevand its supporting structure'. Figs.' 7; .8 and` 9 areV (plan views of the blowhead holder; 'hck'inold holder and parison mold holder respectively.

The machine illustrated coinprisesa carriage 5|l mountedin known manner on wheels 2 adapted' to run on rails 3 xed to foundationfbeams 4. The carriage supports a`v base rnemberor bedbedmlaie] sif/verticai screws t work :tai-*plate 5 isis-parisien inchiltabiea guided for ,vertical rising and l"fallnig A*nievefirent l"ahd adapt- 'ei 'te belcsiiiatealuoiitmits centre'. For this purpdsefthe eeifpmte f5 'is apeimired and fin-to trie-aperte@ is-.niiedajaeking 'cylinder ifowhich is unitary wirh--acvinca1-neiiow y.pest fu. "'hrdiig'h 'trie noiiow post SH there'- extendsfano'l- To" #indie 1i`2 which a perras irbmfbnefparisen manner by the controlled supply ofcompressed air to the cylinder 26.

.The usual divided parison mold is supported by a pair of pivoted or hinged mold jaws 3| and accordingr to the present invention the hinge or pivot of the parison mold jaws -3| is arranged jcoaxially 'over the centre o oscillation of the table 9. yThis is effected by hinging the parison Vmold jaws 3| on a pivot pin 32 screwed into or i -otherwise secured centrally upon the table 9.

A compressed-air or'other fluid-pressure cylinder 33 mounted on the table 9 has its piston connected by; a pai'fr'iof links 34 to bosses 35 on Asectors* which'iiorm extensions of the `pari'son ymold aws 3|, soithat reciprocation of the pistoni-n the cylinder 33 effects openingand vclosihgoftlie :jaws 3| and parison mold 30. Timing vmechanism no t shown on the drawings serves to control the supply of compressed air or Aother pressure fluidto thepyflinders 16,., .526 .and 33; and lthus to actuate the several pistons therein in orcler to r'effect thedesired-operations of oscillation ofthe table 9 opening and closing of theiparson 4moldll .and 'oscillation o f the slrearf-r ing -lfnife'i in propersequencegV Mounted above the table 9 upon vertical alpillars or other suitable ysupports I3-ii s a horizon- "ing adapted@ abutagaiii'st the upper ena iiiee compressed air is permitted to 'scape'ffromthe "crimini-1t. 'a xiiiajrypistdii er Vindi/able @definir-crine carismi/mercantile 9 to ibe'vari'ed which travels ia `horizontally movable, transfer lmember or slide 33 vhayingrollers 39 which run on ythe rails -31. F'iXedonthe track fraifnelaetween vthe .rails 3.1 is la compressedyair cylinder 40,xthe piston of which is connected :hyva pair of :rods 4| to theslide. -Inwardmove- .mentgof vtheqpistcm the -cylinder .f40 ,limits movement of the ,slide 38 infone direction and its movement in gthe otheridirectionlis ,limited by the abutmentof Y(one of the `:rollers 39 against van .abutment or step 42adustably xedto one ef mechanism .for traii'serr-ingy :the .parison ogf -glass from the parison meld- 30 to a-nishing mold 43,

for which.purposetherefisjinoanted on theyslide 3 8 -a .sleeve 44 -throughjwhich ipasses-agve1tical screw .The sleeve -44 isn-split -and provided fessee air and ton in the ein# mold by one or `-more 'telescopic 'vertical 4guides v240 vwhich also serve to'vstadyfthe talole i9 duriiigdiis rising and 'fiii'rigfmvmeiits 'The (plate 21 yand lon this -iaceupllate fis finounted a when V`the-drive sleeve322 is oscillated by reton rodfzlpf fis connected 'to anfarm 28 on the sleeve 22.. .he cylinder .2E fis .lpivoltal'ly y wenn. sleeve z the by connection l.to .a piston .n a .compressedeair ed on lthehscr-ew-r and canv be turned. to adjust the yneig-'ht of the screw before clamping lit .the sleeve 44. The :screw 45jihasga` head- 48 kai; .its

lower end and serves-as asupport lan c i l1=inge.pin vfor a pair of neck mol-d arms 49. whichsupport they usual gneck ring yfmold Wherebynthelparison y or other iluid-.pressiirayy nder ksupported on the 'blow rhead holder glby ra ,braketSA which may be hollow .andlfserve ais-'as suction and 'blow passage from t'he cy1inderf'5'3 to Athe .blow vhead "5L *Bolted 4or otherwise .secured to ,theA underside o the'blow head dhlder`5'll is a compressed-4 air- .or lotherpressure 'iuidfirom v'timing -ririecha-A n'ni'srn .arranged jto control lth .pressure `fluid suprer sequence of raising( andfloweirg 'the'pluger 52, applying suction and pressure fluid to the suction and blow head5l, traversingof the slide 38 on the rails 31 and opening and lclosing of4 the neckmold arms 49. ItV will also be apparent that by adjustment ofthe screw 45 in the sleeve 44the neck mold, plunger vand 4blow head and their associated parts are vertically adjustableto suit different sizes of bottle molds 30.

The finishing mold 43 is in two halves slidable towards and away from each other on a finishing mold table 51 supported on a bracket 58 on the bed-plate 5. The slide 59 which carries the two halves of the finishing mold 43 is adjustable on the table 51 by the provision of aslide adjustingl screw 60 to enable the finishing mold 43 to be correctly centered to receive the parison. The two halves of the finishing mold 43 are connected to the piston rods 6I of a pair of opposed compressed-air cylinders 62 mounted on the slide 59 and it will be apparent that the supply of compressed-air to the cylinders 62 will effect the opening and closing ofthe finishing mold.

To remove the finished bottle, take-off mechanism 63 of any known form is provided for gripping and releasing the neck of .the bottle, this mechanism being carried at the end of an arm 64 pivotally mounted in a bracket 65 on the slide 59. The arm 64 is adapted to beoscillated to remove the nished bottle from the finishing mold and for this purpose a lever 1I)` projecting from the arm 64 is actuated by the piston rod of a cylinder 66 pivotally mounted at 61 on the slide 59. The supply of compressed-air to the cylinder 66 by means not shown effects oscillation of the arm 64.

A pair of cooling jets 68 project upwards from hollow brackets 69 secured to the side of the finishing mold supporting bracket 58 and the jets 68 are positioned to direct cooling jets of air on to the halves of the parison mold 30 when the latter is open opposite the finishing mold.

The machine operates as follows: i

Under the control of the cylinder I6, the driv sleeve I9 is oscillated about thev xed central column or hollow post II. By reason of the driving connection between the parison mold vtable and the base plate 2I of the drive sleeve I9,

this driving connection being elected by the telescopic vertical guides 20, the parison mold table 9 oscillates about its centre, carrying with it the parison mold 30, the shear knife 25 and the whole of the mechanism mounted above the table 9, including the horizontal rails 31, the slide 38, the neck mold arms 49, the blow head 5I and their actuating mechanisms. The parison mold table 9 and its connected parts swing through an arc of preferably90 degrees from a gathering position indicated by the position of the parison mold arms 3I in dotted lines at Iin Fig. 5 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 and vice versa, the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 representing the transfer position. When the parison mold arms 3I are in the dotted position shown at I in Fig. 5, the escape of compressed-air supplied to the jacking cylinder I causes the jacking piston I3 to descend, thereby allowing the table 9 and its connected parts to fall by their own weight until the piston I3 is arrested in its downward movement by the adljustable abutment I4. The parison mold 30 is thus caused to descend at the gathering position into the gathering basin of the forehearth (not shown)l of the glass furnace. While the parison mold 3II is in the gathering basin suction is applied to the blow head I to induce a charge of glass .into the4 parison mold. The parison mold table 9 is thenraised by the admission of compressed-air to the jacking cylinder I0 to raise the piston I3, thereby raising the parisonl `moldout of the gathering basin. The cylinder 26 thenoperates to oscillate the shear knife 25 to cut-off the string .of glass from the mold 30. Thereupon the parisonmold table 9 and its associated parts commence their arcuate travel to move the parison moldfrom the position I to the transfer position shown in full lines at Fig. 5.

Immediately after the shear knife 25 cuts oif the string of glass from the parison mold 39, the suction from the blow head 5I is cut oif, and at theV same time the cylinder 53 is operated to withdrawthe plunger 52 leaving an indent in the `neck of the parison forA the initial blowing thereof, which takes place before the shear knife 25 is withdrawn and before the parison mold 30 is opened.

The parison mold 30 is moved as rapidly as possible from the gathering position to the transferposition, so as to enable the gathering opening in the forehearth to be closed or partially closed as soon as possible.

When the parison in the mold 30 is suiiiciently cooled at the transfer position, compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 33 to open the parison mold 39. At or about the same time, compressed air is admitted to the cylinders 62 to open the finishing mold 43, and the take-off'mechanism 63 is operated to close the jaws thereof upon the neck of the previously finished bottle which I up to now has been held in the finishing mold 43. Immediately after the opening of the `parison and finishing molds, compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 49 to cause the slide 38 to travel outwardly along the rails 31, traveling from the parison mold positionto the finishing mold position. At the same time, compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 66 causing the take-off arm 64 to oscillate and thus moving the take-off mechanism 63 outwardly with the previously finished article.

When the blow head 5I reaches the centerl of the finishing mold 43 the parison is held suspended from the neck `mold and air is admitted to the cylinders 62 to close the finishing mold 43, and the jaws of the take-off mechanism 63 are opened, thus releasing the previously finished article.

The parison'is allowed sufficient time in the finishing mold to permitthe glass to stretch tothe mold bottom, whereupon compressed air is admitted to the blow head 5I for the nal blowing of the article. During the nal blowing operation and while the parison mold 30 remains open at the transfer position, the halves thereof are cooled by streams of air from the cooling jets 68.

When the final blowing of the article is completed, compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 55 to effect opening of the neck mold arms 49. Then the compressedair supply to the cylinder 48 is reversed, thus retracting the slide 38 with the blow head 5I, neck mold arms 49, and associated parts; and at the same time the reversal of the compressed air supply to the cylrAil.

. `The speed'of operation `of the machine necessarily will-be .variedf'according to the size of lbottle to be blown, in order to allow sufficient time for the cooling of, the parison in its travel from the gathering positionlfto the finishing mold i and in order to allow a sufficient time for nal blowing of the parison in vthe finishing mold. ItI will be appreciated that the machine may be adjusted toA various asizes of bottleby vertical adjustment of the screw 45 which supports `the neck mold armsl 49 and the blow head 5l and as` the level of the glass' inthe furnace forehearth or gathering basin falls, thev vertical stroke of` the parison mold table. 9 may be adjusted byl adjustment of the position of the jackingfpiston` abutment I4.

sary-being slight modiiication of the shearing arm `23 and its operating gear.

forehearth. If two or more such forehearths arearranged adjacent each other, it is desirable` that the molten glass circulated iny one forehearth should move in the opposite direction to that' ilowing through the next adjacent fore-k hearth, so that the forehearths do not draw cool glass from oneanother'. As the string ofv lglass sheared from the parison mould at the gathering position should follow the flow of glass in the forehearth, it is desirablethat the parison mold,

when it leaves the gathering position, should move inthe same directionfas the glass flowing in the forehearth from which the gather has been made;A consequently adjacent machines should be arranged to ywork right-handed and left-handed respectively and this can readily be` eiected in the manner before stated.

I claim: l.k A glass forming slide, a blow head carried by said slide, a finishing mold and actuating means therefor carriedy by Consequently, the machine can be made to' work either right` handed or. left-handed in front of a furnace fore-I hearth. This is an advantage when two or ymore such machines gather from the same furnace,; each fromi'tsown gathering basin or foreheartnl lsuch as the forehearth described and claimed inl my prior Patent' No. 1,816,982 wherein the moltenj l glass circulates in one `direction through the;

machine of the suction `gathering type comprising a bed-plate, an oscil ylatorym'ember rotatably mounted on said bed` plate by a vertical support means providing a vertical axis of rotation, means for periodically` oscillating said member, `means for periodicallyl raising and lowering said member at a gathering: position, a pair vof pari'son mold carrying arms Yhinged or pivotedftogether with the center ofiL pivotal movement von' a vertical axis v'coincident with the aforesaid vertical axis, means carriedI by said 'member for actuating said arms to open; and close a divided parison mold carried thereby, yhorizontal guides carried by and suppr rted abovey lthe's'aid member V'and Vradially directed with re-l spectfto the vertical axis.-v a rectilinear-1y movable slide guided by said guides, 'a neck mold holder 3 and actuatingmeans therefor carriedV bysaid asf/asas said slide, whereby the oscillating means positions the parison mold adjacent said finishing mold,

said armactuating means opens the parison mold and s aid slide is moved on said'guidcs by said reciprocating means. y f 2. A machine according-to claim l including a shear member and means Vmounted upon the oscillatory member for actuating the said shear member. f

Si gathering type comprising a bed-plate,` an oscillatorytable above said bed-plate andhaving a spindle depending therefrom, a sleeve guidev on said bed-plate for receiving said spindle, a jacking cylinder carried by said bed-plate, a piston recipro'cable in said cylinder by uid pressure,r said piston being adapted to lift said spindle and,

table when the piston rises and to permit said tableand spindle to descend Awhen the piston vmoves downwards, means carried by said bedplate for oscillating said vtable about the axis of the spindle, a pair of parison mold carrying arms hinged or pivoted together on a vertical axis substantiallycoincident withr theV axis of the spindle,A

a blow head carried by said slide, a finishing mold and actuating means therefor'carried by said bed-plate, and means for reciprocating said'slide,

whereby the oscillating meansv positions the parison mold adjacent said nishing mold, said arm actuating means opens the parison mold, and said slide is moved on said guides by said reciprocating means. i

4. `A glass forming machine of the suction gathering type comprising a bed-plate, an oscillatory table 'mounted upon said bed-plate for Voscillation about a vertical support means provlding a vertical axis, means for periodically raising and lowering said table at a gathering position, a pair of' parison mold carrying arms hinged or pivoted together on a vertical axis coincidentwith the axis ofoscillation of said table, uidpressure. operated cylinder 'and piston mechanism carried by said table for opening and closing said arms, a drive bracket between the bed-plate and the table and oscillatory about the axis of oscillation of said table,r a telescopic drivsaid bed-plate, and means for reciprocating the 'l5 ingV connection betweenthe drive bracket and the table to permit rising and falling movement of, the table, means for oscillating said bracket, 'thereby to oscillate `the table and the parison mold-carrying arms', va shearhaving a .pivotal mounting adapted to oscillate with the drive bracket and table, duidpressure operated cylinder and piston `mechanism carried by the drive Vbracket for actuating the shear, and a neck mold and actuating table.

v5. A glass vforming machine of the suction gathering type comprising a bed-plate, an oscillatory table'mounted on saidbedplate, means for oscillating said-tablel about a vertical support means" providing `a vertical axis of oscillation, means for periodically raising and lowering said table, a pair of -parison `mold carrying' arms hinged or pivoted together onV a vertical axis coincident with the axis of oscillation o'f said table, means `carried by said tablefor actuating said A glass forming machine` of the suction means therefor carried by the said arms to open and close a divided parison mold carried thereby, a horizontal track frame carried by and supported above saidv table, a rectilinearly movable transfer member mounted on said track frame and movable lradially with respect to the axis of oscillation of said table, a divided nishing mold, means for' opening and closing the finishing mold, means for reciprocating said transfer member when said oscillating means has positioned the parison mold adjacent said finishing mold and said arm actuating means has opened the'parison mold, and a neck mold holder and blowhead carried by said transfer member.

6. A glass forming machine of kthe suction gathering type comprising an oscillatory table, means Afor oscillating said table about a vertical support means providing avertical axis of oscillation, means for periodically raising and lowering said table, a pair ci parison mold carrying arms hinged or pivoted together on a verticalaxis coincident with the axis of oscillation of said table, means carried by said table for actuating said arms to open and close a 'divided parison mold carried thereby, a transfer member carried by and radially movable with respect to said table, a neck mold holder carried by said transfer memtoer, a finishing mold holder, means for reciprocating said transfer member when said oscillating means has positioned the parison mold adjacent said nishing `mold holder and said arm actuating means has opened the parison mold, and a pair of compressed air cooling jets positioned to direct cooling air jets upon the halves of the parison mold when open adjacent the iinishing mold.

-7. A glass forming machine of the suction gathering type comprising a bed-plate, an oscillatory member rotatably mounted on said bed-plate by a vertical support means providing a vertical axis of oscillation, means for periodically oscillating said member about the vertical axis, means for periodically raising and lowering said member at a gathering position, a pair of parison mold carrying arms hinged or pivoted together on a vertical axis coincident with the `aforesaid vertical axis,

slide, a iinis'hing mold and actuating means therefor carried by said bed-plate, and means for reciprocating .the said slide,'whereby the oscillating means positions the parison mold adjacent said finishing mold, said arm actuatingl means opens the parison mold, and said slide is moved on said guides by said reciprocating means.

8. A glass forming machine of the suction gathering type comprising a bed-plate, an oscillatory table above said bed-plate and having a spindle depending therefrom, a sleeveguide on said bed-plate for receiving said spindle, a jacking cylinder carried by said bed-plate having an v opening to receive said spindle, a piston abutting the lower end of said spindle reciprocable in said cylinder by fluid pressure, said piston 'being adapted to lift said spindle and table when the piston rises and to'permit said table and spindle 'todescend when the piston moves downwards,

means carried by said bed-plate for, oscillating said table about the axis of the spindle, a pair of parison mold carrying arms hinged or pivoted together on a vertical axis coincident with the axis of said spindle, means carried by said table for actuating said arms to open and close a divided parison mold carried thereby, a horizontal track carried by and supported above said table, a slide movableon said track ina direction radial with respect to the axis of oscillation of said table, means for reciprocating said slide on the track, a carrier adjustable vertically on said slide, and a neck mold holder and actuating means therefor mounted on said carrier.

ALEXANDER FRANCIS MCNISH. 

